Body armor is worn by military, law enforcement and security personnel throughout the world. This personal protective equipment is designed to stop small arms ammunition fired from a gun/weapon and to protect against flying shrapnel, which may often result in bodily injury/death. Protecting the body from larger caliber/higher velocity weapons may be accomplished through the use of ceramic, steel, layered polyethylene protective panels (or a combination thereof). These protective panels are then inserted into a vest or carrier that is worn by the end-user. However, due to their construction, these protective panels are sensitive to wear, dropping, and exposure to various contaminants (e.g., water, petroleum, oils, lubricants, fungus, DEET and other environmental debris).
Accordingly, a protective covering (commonly referred to as a “spall cover”) envelops/encapsulates the protective panel, protecting it from degradation that would negatively impact the protective properties of the panel. Such spall covers are typically constructed using woven/nonwoven/knit materials (e.g., textiles or polymers) that are applied using heat activated adhesives/glues (or other thermals sealing methodologies) to enclose the protective panel. Accordingly, it is important that the spall cover remains intact to enclose and protect the protective panel.
As the protective panel is used, the degradation of the spall cover is often indicated through fraying, abrasion, rips and/or tears of the spall cover. After such wear to the spall cover, the protective panel should be inspected to ensure the integrity of the protective panel. Once this inspection is completed, the spall cover may be repaired or replaced in its entirety through a costly, labor-intensive process that often requires shipping the protective panel to a remote location.